The Catalyst: Catalyst 6.3.Charles, Boyle, and Gay-Lussac.pdf

6.3.Charles, Boyle, and Gay-Lussac.pptx.pdf

Presentation

When my students know that the problems they are solving will help them comprehend the material they are dealing with in the lesson, they are more comfortable putting forth their best effort. This Google Slides lesson asks my students to solve problems around the concepts of temperature and pressure and then asks them to extrapolate their answers to a new scenario in an attempt to get them excited about the lesson.

When my students know that the problems they are solving will help them comprehend the material they are dealing with in the lesson, they are more comfortable putting forth their best effort. This Google Slides lesson asks my students to solve problems around the concepts of temperature and pressure and then asks them to extrapolate their answers to a new scenario in an attempt to get them excited about the lesson.

The Catalyst

Chemistry is a combination of the comprehension of scientific content and the application of mathematics to those concepts. My students have to be prepared to think deeply about difficult concepts the minute they step into my room. Starting the class with a relevant "Catalyst" helps them initiate their own thinking processes in preparation for a productive day in the same way that biological enzymes catalyze chemical reactions. During The Catalyst, I model my thinking process for how to approach a mathematical problem by having my students identify the key steps in the calculation and establish a foundation that students who struggle with math can fall back on when they're confused.

This Daily Work Organizer for Wednesday classes has a space carved out for the Daily Catalyst, as well a spot for my students to analyze the current state of their weekly goals. After writing down the daily learning objectives and assessing the three clues for the mystery element of the day, my students will complete a Catalyst question that will get them thinking in a mindset conducive to high-level chemistry learning. Organizing their thoughts and planning the day ahead ensures that my students have a safe place to visit when they lose focus during the chaos of normal class.

When my students know that the problems they are solving will help them comprehend the material they are dealing with in the lesson, they are more comfortable putting forth their best effort. This Google Slides lesson asks my students to solve problems around the concepts of temperature and pressure and then asks them to extrapolate their answers to a new scenario in an attempt to get them excited about the lesson.

This Daily Work Organizer for Wednesday classes has a space carved out for the Daily Catalyst, as well a spot for my students to analyze the current state of their weekly goals. After writing down the daily learning objectives and assessing the three clues for the mystery element of the day, my students will complete a Catalyst question that will get them thinking in a mindset conducive to high-level chemistry learning. Organizing their thoughts and planning the day ahead ensures that my students have a safe place to visit when they lose focus during the chaos of normal class.

When my students know that the problems they are solving will help them comprehend the material they are dealing with in the lesson, they are more comfortable putting forth their best effort. This Google Slides lesson asks my students to solve problems around the concepts of temperature and pressure and then asks them to extrapolate their answers to a new scenario in an attempt to get them excited about the lesson.

About this strategy

Similar Strategies

Keeping students motivated is very important in a self-paced course. Scholar Dollars is a strategy I developed to reward my students for working hard and making progress in the course. The concept of Scholar Dollars is pretty simple. Every time a student passes a Mastery Quiz, they receive five Scholar Dollars. Students receive 15 Scholar Dollars for passing a Level Test. Scholar Dollars can be used to buy school supplies, snacks, or even a pizza party. On random days, I switch up the payouts on Scholar Dollars - doubling the amount given, only paying for 100s on Mastery Quizzes or Level Tests, or giving all the Scholar Dollars earned on that day to one lucky student picked by lottery at the end of class.

There are only 4 rules in my classroom. The four rules are 1) Be respectful - I will always talk to students respectfully so there is no reason for students to talk to either myself of their peers with disrepect. 2) Always sit in your assigned seat - seating assignments are always projected in the front of the room so there is no reason to be confused about where to sit. No negotiations. 3) No talking during independent time - this doesn't need much explanation. 4) Technology is used for learning. Their devices should only be used to watch instructional videos otherwise it's too easy to get sucked into the vast abyss of the internet.

Correctional Assignments provide another layer of practice for my students who fail a quiz before re-attempting to master the topic. The process is simple - my students complete the Correctional Assignment and then re-take the mastery quiz. My students can follow this process as many times as needed until they pass the quiz and achieve mastery. For this reason, I use IXL.com and Kuta Software for Correctional Assignments, which both generate infinite sets of practice problems.